BioLite CampStove
First off, this seems like an overdue innovation for campers and backpackers. It's not the smallest stove out there (BioLite is roughly the size of a Nalgene bottle), but it does eliminate the need to carry any type of fuel. That's a plus as far as weight is concerned, but it's also nice to know that you're not going to have any fuel accidentally spill inside your pack and ruin the trip. Although I'm completely against taking an iPhone on a camping trip (old-fashioned, I know), having a USB port for some type of emergency situation is huge. I wonder now how many USB accessories will start to pop up to take advantage of this. The stove would also be great to have on hand for general disaster preparedness. Even before reading a blurb on BioLite's website about this, I was thinking about all the East Coasters who are in panic mode as we brace ourselves for Hurricane Sandy. Facebook is alight with concerns over no secondary heat source beyond electric and no generator (or gas to power a generator). Requiring a very small amount of storage space, this could be an option for families to, at the very least, be able to boil water in the event of an emergency. (Finding dry wood to burn in the wake of Sandy may be a futile effort though!)
All of that is great for a camper. What really intrigues me about BioLite though, is that they are looking at the triple bottom line. Rather than simply using profits to support charities around the world, BioLite is using their innovation to improve the lives of impoverished around the world by creating a HomeStove version that is slightly larger and more permanent than the CampStove. Approaching sustainability from both an environmental and a business standpoint, they don't view this second product as a handout, but as a low-cost product for purchase. BioLite's website explains
"We believe in market-based approaches to poverty alleviation. By creating solutions that are effective, affordable and desirable to the end user, we can reach more people more effectively. Sales of the CampStove help to support the one-time market establishment costs for the HomeStove. This is not charity, or a one-for-one model, but simply the capital needed to incubate self-sustained energy access for the people who need it most."Pain Squad
The other innovation that I really enjoyed reading about was Pain Squad, an iPhone app that "gamifies" the pain diary that adolescent cancer patients keep to help doctors understand and treat the pain associated with their cancer. Since I don't have any children, I've never stopped to consider how difficult it must be to get children to articulate their pain: where it hurts, how much it hurts, how long it has felt that way, how it affected their daily activities. It's probably difficult to get that out of adults, much less children! The idea of creating a game, complete with rewards and appearances by favorite characters and TV personalities seems like a truly innovative way to improve the quality of life for kids who are dealing with such a difficult road. I can't imagine any actor that wouldn't volunteer immediately to lend their talent or character to this effort. And with the hope that this will increase the amount of meaningful data for healthcare professionals, I can see this innovation eventually leading to improved care and medical breakthroughs.
Throughout my project, I've struggled to understand just what service design is and how I am supposed to improve upon a pattern that has existed for many, many years. This innovation helps me see that the idea can be a very simple one (help kids track their pain) but the solution can lead to much, much larger improvements.
Very good take-away. Pain Squad is also quite relevant for next semester, when I'll be teaching game design.
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